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Scouts' decision causes few ripples in Lebanon Valley

The Boy Scouts of America rescinded its ban on openly gay membership, and local troops and churches call it a nonissue

By MONICA VON DOBENECKFor The Lebanon Daily News

Updated:
07/06/2013 03:43:55 PM EDT

Boy Scouts learn kayaking skills at Camp Bashore north of Jonestown last week. Troop members performed the tasks that Scouts have been doing for generations in the Lebanon Valley and beyond. Around the country, some troops and the churches that charter them have objected to the Boy Scouts of America s recent vote to admit openly gay youths, but the Lebanon Valley has seen little opposition to the removal of the ban. (LEBANON DAILY NEWS MONICA VON DOBENECK)

JONESTOWN - The Boy Scouts at Camp Bashore north of Jonestown spent the week kayaking, tying ropes, climbing walls, cooking over open fires, shooting arrows, sleeping in tents - in other words, doing what Scouts have been doing for generations.

And that is not likely to change just because the Boy Scouts of America have voted to admit openly gay youths, according to area scoutmasters and the pastors at the churches that charter the troops.

While some churches nationwide have condemned the decision in May by the Boy Scouts of America to allow openly gay youths - but not leaders - to join, it seems to have had little effect so far in Lebanon County.

Roscoe van Muylwyk, scoutmaster of Troop 456 in Palmyra, poses at Camp Bashore. He said allowing gay youths to join Boy Scouts has been a nonissue for his troop. (LEBANON DAILY NEWS MONICA VON DOBENECK)

According to Ed Rasmuson, executive for the Pennsylvania Dutch Council of the Boy Scouts of America, only one church out of 135 chartering organizations in the council has decided to end its association with the Scouts because of that decision. One other church is still deciding, he said.

Both churches are in Lebanon County, but he would not say which ones they were. Lebanon County has 36 charters, most of them faith-based. The rest are in Lancaster County.

"We have had a mix of reactions," Rasmuson said. "Some feel this has the potential of not being in the best interest of Scouts, while some think it is long overdue."

Scouts might lose some leaders who disagree with the decision, he explained, but they might also gain some who were turned off by the previous ban.

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It is too early to tell if the decision will have any effect on membership.

"Scouting has always taught respect and tolerance for others," he said. "We want to make sure Scouting provides a safe home for every kid."

In a message printed on the council's website, padutchbsa.org, Rasmuson, along with the council's president and commissioner, said the executive board supported lifting the ban.

Keaton Eachus, 11, Holtwood, Lancaster County, takes aim during archery practice at Camp Bashore north of Jonestown last week. Only one church out of 135 chartering organizations in the Pennsylvania Dutch Council of the Boy Scouts of America has decided to end its association with the Scouts because of the BSA s decision to end its ban on openly gay members. (LEBANON DAILY NEWS MONICA VON DOBENECK)

Acknowledging it is "a very complex and challenging issue" with "strong beliefs on both sides," they said they directed their delegates to the national meeting in Texas to vote in favor of the change. They said they believe the change is in line with the beliefs of most of the council's religious-chartered partners, noting most congregations welcome young members who admit being attracted to the same sex.

In addition, they said, the Boy Scout organization expects appropriate behavior, including no sexual contact, no matter the sexual orientation its members.

In their message, they said "kids are better off when they are in Scouts," and the change will allow all "the chance to experience this life-changing program.

At least one father responded to the message online by saying he will pull his son from Scouts, and the decision has caused consternation among some faith groups nationwide.

The Pennsylvania Pastors Network, an evangelical group, urged Christian parents to consider pulling their sons out of BSA.

In June, the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution condemning the BSA decision but stopped short of asking its member churches to boycott Boy Scouts.

Closer to home, a group of Scouts rallied in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, shortly before the BSA vote, asking the organization to maintain the ban. A pastor from Franklin helped organize the rally.

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Several pastors from Lebanon County churches that charter Boy Scout troops, however, said it was a nonissue.

The Rev. Rick Whitesel, pastor at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lebanon, said the congregation talked the issue over several months ago, and there was no dissent.

"We weren't going to have a problem with it," he said. "We want boys in Scouting for a whole host of reasons, and this does not override that. It's about boys growing up, the outdoors, leadership."

The Rev. Dennis Lohr, pastor of Palmyra Church of the Brethren, said it has not been an issue in his congregation, and he has heard no complaints from the Scouts themselves. He and a church committee met with the Pennsylvania Dutch Council in the month leading up to the decision.

"I said to them, 'The mission of the Palmyra Brethren Church is to welcome, inspire and nurture all persons,'" he said.

Rasmuson said council officials are trying to reach out to all chartering organizations, most of them religious institutions, to talk over the change.

Lohr said council officials seemed to be trying to handle the change responsibly and sensitively and wanted to listen to the various viewpoints.

"The one wish I left them with is that Scouts would be a welcoming and safe place for whomever wanted to affiliate with them," he said.

The Rev. Julia Beall, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Palmyra, said her church has chartered Boy Scout Troop 456 for more than 50 years. She said the boys in the troop, their parents and members of the congregation talked about the decision, and "all of us were of the same mind."

"Our church has a phrase: 'We have a space for all people,'" she said. "We believe God creates all people. ... We need to value everyone that God creates."

The UCC has an emphasis on social justice, she added. She said she thinks it is high time the Scouts lifted the ban on gay youth and was pleased most chartering organizations are staying with the Scouts. Despite changing attitudes toward homosexuality, there is still a lot of bullying that goes on in schools, she said.

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Roscoe van Muylwyk, scoutmaster for Troop 456, said he discussed the issue with the boys in his troop, and "not a single one had anything negative to say" about it. It is one of the largest troops in the county, with 63 boys and 33 adult members.

The boys told him any gay youths in the troop would be the same boys with whom they already share classrooms and gym classes.

This year, the boys in his troop backpacked for 11 miles, camped out on a Delaware beach, cleaned up a highway, demonstrated their survival skills, spent a cold January night in a tent and cooked meals over a campfire.

Six are serving as counselors for the summer, he said. Several are taking a national youth leadership training course, and the troop has produced 20 Eagle Scouts since van Muylwyk took over as scoutmaster in 2004.

Whether the ban remained in place or not, it would make little difference to the members of his troop, he said.

"When they go for interviews for jobs or college, they have self-confidence," he said. "When they are in front of panels answering questions, they interview very well.